What the blurb says: “Meet Detective Inspector John Luther. He’s brilliant; he’s intense. He’s obsessional. He’s dangerous.
John Luther has an extraordinary clearance rate. He commands outstanding loyalty. And yet he seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things he shouldn’t; things way beyond the limits of the law.
This is the story of the case that tore Luther’s personal and professional relationships apart and propelled him over the precipice. Beyond fury, beyond vegeance. All the way to murder.”
I’m a big fan of the BBC series LUTHER (in which Idris Elba plays the title role) and couldn’t wait to read this book, the first novel in the John Luther series written by the show’s creator and writer Neil Cross.
Like the series, it’s a gritty and often shockingly brutal glimpse into the work of Detective Inspector John Luther. Rather than continue from the end of the second series, it takes the reader back to the time just before the first series begin and follows John as he works the case of the horrific murder of a man and his pregnant wife in their London home. As Luther and the killer become entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Luther’s relationship with Zoe, his wife, begins to unravel. It’s a story that, just like its main character, is as intense as it is compelling.
If you’re a fan of the TV series, or a fan of gritty police procedurals, then this book is well worth a read.
Steph Broadribb 
I picked this book from the crime festival at Harrogate, but haven’t read it yet. It’s still on my TBR pile!
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TBR piles never seem to get any lower do they – as soon as I’ve finished a book several more seem to take they’re place!
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Neil Cross writes a good thriller, but I must say I found this one horribly grisly – almost more a horror novel than crime.
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Hi Robin, yes it is quite brutal and shocking in places. Like the tv series. Did you get a chance to see it?
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Yes, I quite enjoyed the series. It was a bit mad in places but definitely had bags of atmosphere and tension, and Idris Elba is great. The next series should be interesting before it transfers to the big screen.
BTW, I enjoy dropping by Crime Thriller Girl and have linked to it from CrimeTimePreview. Keep up the double life!
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Yes, really looking forward to the next series. I’ve added CrimeTimePreview to my blogroll – it’s a great site for a crime thriller addict like me 🙂
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